Bouledogue américain

Originally, the famous English Bulldog was much larger than today, with a notable recorded history since Shakespeare's age: the word "bulldog" appears in his play A Midsummer Night's Dream in Act IV, Scene I. This type of dog, the Old English Bulldog, was used for bull-baiting, for cattle transport and as a butcher's dog. Naturally, English colonists of the New World, particularly those who went to live in the South, brought a version of this dog with them. All modern American Bulldogs are direct descendants of the Old English Bulldogs of the 17th and 18th centuries and are therefore one of the oldest known farm dogs in the nation. Traditionally, they were bred to guard the farm or plantation, to protect their families (especially children) from intruders, to be cattle drivers and to hunt wild pigs. The ancestors of the American Bulldog predate the practice of formal breeding for type and most kennel clubs, and overall were bred for performance. This thus continued at least until the Civil War. Unfortunately, the number of dogs of this breed began to decline after the Civil War to the point that in the 1940s, they were almost extinct.

It is a sporting and powerful dog that needs a master who is involved in its education. It is calm indoors, a good guardian and very versatile. The breed was originally created for work. An American Bulldog therefore needs exercise and outdoor activities.

Il s'agit généralement d'un chien qui peut devenir assez gros, avec des spécimens plus gros atteignant le poids d'un petit humain adulte ; les mâles les plus lourds peuvent peser jusqu'à 56 kg. Au garrot, le Bouledogue américain doit avoir une hauteur maximale de 52-70 cm. Les femelles pèsent généralement de 7 kg à 15 kg de moins qu'un mâle. La force moyenne de la morsure de ce chien est de 305psi=21.445kg/cm2. Leurs robes sont de toutes les couleurs sauf tricolore, noir total ou merle, et elles peuvent être unies ou tachetées ; un pelage blanc pur ou bringé est également possible. Les oreilles sont en rose et la tête est grande, brachycéphale, mais pas aussi exagérée que certains dogues. Leurs robes sont courtes et brillantes. Les yeux sont généralement bruns, mais il n'est pas rare que le bouledogue américain souffre d'hétérochromie, une condition dans laquelle chaque œil est d'une couleur différente. Certaines organisations considèrent cela comme un défaut, cependant, cela se produit naturellement dans la population générale de ces chiens.